True Love, New Love
by abugsaunt
Summary: Katniss Everdeen knew the pain of losing someone you love. It happened to her twice. Can she find love again with an old friend? read to find out. modern day AU. A little OOC. Cato/Katniss/Peeta/Finnick/Annie.
1. Chapter 1

**True Love, New Love**

_Prologue_

Katniss Everdeen knew the pain of losing someone you love. It happened to her twice. First she lost her father in a mining accident at the age of 12. It was 6 months later that she met Peeta Mellark. She had been starving herself so that her younger sister, Primrose, would stay healthy. Peeta had found Katniss hiding in a classroom, passed out. He picked her up and carried her home to her mother. He had noticed she rarely, if ever, ate with the rest of her classmates. The day he found her, he had decided to follow her to offer her some of his own lunch. This event brought Katniss's mother out of her depression and soon Peeta and Katniss became friends. The next week, as she walked up to thank him for taking her home, she saw him pick a dandelion which he gave to her after her thanks. When they were 15, Peeta admitted his true feelings for her, that he truly loved her. On her 16th birthday, Katniss admitted to Peeta that she loved him as well.

On the 4th anniversary of her father's death, tragedy hit Katniss again. Peeta was killed by a drunk driver while he was walking home from wrestling practice with his best friend and teammate Cato Evans. Cato had got off easy, a bruise to his hip as his only injury. He stood between Katniss and Peeta's dad, Mr. Mellark, during the funeral. He sat with Katniss during the after funeral get together at the Mellark's bakery. After, Katniss locked herself in her room for a week, not speaking to anyone – including her mother and her sister. On the 7th day, Mrs. Everdeen couldn't sit around anymore and let her oldest daughter suffer alone. She called Cato, Peeta's best friend. Cato knocked on the bedroom door and asked if Katniss would please let him in. He heard her shuffle to the door and heard what sounded like furniture being moved. She cracked the door open and asked if he was alone. He nodded. The door closed and again Cato heard the sound of furniture being moved. The door then opened, an arm reached out, grabbed his hand, and pulled him in. As soon as he was through, the door shut, the room darkened, and he heard the sound again. Turning around, he saw a shadowy figure pushing a large piece of furniture back against the door. Before he had a chance to say or do anything, a pair of arms wrapped around his waist. He wrapped his arms around the girl and told her to let it all out. They stood there, crying together, mourning their loss of Peeta. He was special to them both, his loss hurt bad. Cato eventually walked Katniss to her bathroom, where he got a wash cloth out of the cupboard, wet it in the sink, and began to wash Katniss's face. He begged her to not give up, pleaded with her to eat something. He made her see that Peeta wouldn't want her to stop living. He promised that he would stick by her side no matter what the world threw at her. She asked him to spend the night with her, promising that if he did she would eat something. The next morning she took him out to the forest behind her house and they built a little stone pile memorial to Peeta and her father in a clearing full of grass.

Over the next 2 years, Cato and Katniss grew to be very close. He was true to his word, staying by her as promised. When she won the state archery competition, he was there watching. When she lost the inter-class talent competition, he ran and bought a half gallon of chocolate ice cream and watched her eat the whole thing (well, except for the few bites she fed him). He even got her to go to their Senior Prom. He was voted Prom King and they were both surprised when she got Prom Queen. Cato realized that he loved this broken girl but knew that she swore never to love again.

They went off to different colleges but called each other nightly, telling the stories of what happened that day. Every year, on the anniversary of the deaths of Peeta and her father, they travelled back to their hometown and took flowers out to the pile of stones. They would sit next to each other and talk to each other as well as to Peeta and Mr. Everdeen. Each would give the other a few minutes of privacy to speak. But, it was the visit right after college graduation that everything had changed. Cato and Katniss would normally meet at Katniss's mom's house and they would walk out to the forest together. This time, Prim told him that Katniss had already left and that he should join her as soon as he could. He walked to the edge of the clearing and watched the young woman talk to the rocks. It was a moment before he realized that the clearing was somehow different. Then he saw that instead of grass, the clearing was covered in dandelions! He looked back to the brunette and began walking towards her kneeling figure. He noticed her hands fiddling with the end of the long braid. It was a habit that she did when she was worried or nervous. Then he heard something that he never dreamed he would ever hear.

"_Thank-you Peeta for giving me a sign that I can be free to love Cato, that you are giving me your blessing. He has been my rock, my savior, since you left. I have loved him for so long. I feared he would find someone when we left for college. But all his roommates said he never went on any dates, that his heart belongs to someone that can never love him back because she couldn't handle the pain if she lost him too. I think they were talking about me, Peeta. After you died, I swore to Cato that I would never love again because I wouldn't be able to handle the pain. Even Finnick and Annie believed me when I told them about you and my pain. You remember Finnick and Annie? I brought them here yesterday to meet you. I'm going to be Annie's bridesmaid next summer when they get married. Anyway, I got to go now. Cato will be here soon and I need to tell him how I feel about him before he leaves this town for good. Thank you again for the sign my boy with the bread, my dandelion in the spring_."

Cato watched as she took a small pressed, yellow flower from her lap, put it up to her lips, and set it on the rocks. He slowly walked over as she stood up. She turned, saw him approach and smiled. It was a smile he hadn't seen in almost 7 years. It was a smile he saw her give to Peeta thousands of times, while wishing he would find a girl of his own that would smile at him like that. He walked up to her, ice blue eyes staring deeply into silver gray eyes, seeing so many flashes of emotions between the two. He then leaned down and kissed her. His kisses showing her just how much he truly loved her. Kisses he felt returned back to him a hundredfold.

_**Two years later**_

She was busy getting everything ready. It was her and Cato's first anniversary. She was so excited, yet nervous. She placed a small white box with blue and pink ribbons on his plate. Inside the box was the positive pregnancy test she took earlier that day. She wanted to tell everyone so bad but also wanted Cato to be the first to know. Their friends and neighbors, Finnick and Annie Odair, were expecting their first child any day. She looked out the dining room windows and saw a nasty storm heading this way. She hoped Cato would be home soon. She really hated thunder storms and this one looked particularly nasty. She is startled by the phone ringing.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Hello and welcome to the second chapter of First Love True Love. This is my very first story and I am overwhelmed by the response to the first chapter alone. I'd like to thank everyone whose read, replied, followed, and favorited. And a big thank you to catchingfire 1714. This person is the one who talked me into writing this story in the first place. She is a big influence in my life.**_

_**I got so excited to post my story that I forgot this disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games or its characters. That right belongs to Suzanne Collins. **_

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_Chapter 2:_

Katniss jumps up and answers the phone. "Hello?"

"Hey babe, it's me. I just wanted to let you know that I am on my way. Got held up in a stupid meeting. May stop for gas. We're still meeting Finn and Ann tomorrow, right?" says Cato.

"Hi Baby. Yes, we're still meeting with Finn and Annie. Drive carefully, this storm looks really bad. Dinner is just about ready. I hope you're hungry." She replied, relieved to hear his voice.

"Starving. I should be home in about 15 minutes. I love you sweetheart!"

"Love you too!"

Katniss hangs up the phone, turning back to the stove to check on the lasagna she made. She takes it out of the oven and sets it on the table to cool a little. She turns off the oven and picks up the basket of rolls to set on the table. The rolls are from the Mellark bakery. She found them on the front porch in a basket with a small cake, all wrapped with a bow and a card from Peeta's brothers and father. It had brought tears to her eyes to think that they'd still be thinking of her and Cato. The little cake was a miniature of their wedding cake from a year ago, made by the Mellark family as a wedding present. She put the cake in the fridge for later that evening.

She hears Cato pull up into the driveway followed by the garage door opening. She hurries to remove the apron she was wearing and smooth's back her hair, which is half pulled back into a braid. She checks to make sure that everything was on the table that needed to be: the candles(which are now lit), the lasagna, the rolls, the salad, the wine (of which she would only have a sip or two until she talks to a doctor), and of course the little box. Yep, it was all there. She hears the car shut off and the garage door closing. She rushes over and dims the dining room lights just before Cato walks in. The sight of him makes her smile. He sees her and smiles back. He then notices the table and grins.

"Lasagna? That's my favorite! How'd you know? Wait, it's not my birthday! Why are we having lasagna?" He asked, winking at her as he pulls a bouquet of Katniss and primrose flowers from behind his back. The same flowers that were in her wedding bouquet two years ago. The florists thought the dandelions messed up the arrangement but when they were told that they meant something personal to Katniss, nothing was said again.

She walks up to him, grabs the flowers, noticing the Dandelions in the center, and replies, "Happy anniversary to you too!" He grabs her waist and pulls her in whispering "happy anniversary" on her lips before he kisses her thoroughly. When they break apart, she puts the flowers in a vase while he goes over to wash his hands for dinner. He waits for to wash and dry her hands, and then pulls out her chair for her to sit down. As he sits in his own chair, he finally notices the box on his plate.

"What's this?" he asks.

"A gift." She replies, blushing. Cato opens the box and just stares at it. "Is this…?" he asks.

"Yes. We're going to be parents Cato." She relies softly, smiling at him.

Cato pulls her from her chair into his lap gently. He places his hand on her stomach. "This is the best present I've ever gotten." He tells her, tears welling in his eyes. She puts her hands on his cheeks, leans forward and kisses him gently.

"First thing this morning I had an appointment with Dr. Johanna Mason and she confirmed it. We are about 5 weeks along so in about 35 weeks, we will get to meet him or her. I have another appointment in 3 weeks, would you like to come?" She asks.

He laughs, "Raging mutts couldn't keep me from any appointment concerning our child!"

_LATER_

Having eaten, putting the food away, and washing the dishes, Katniss and Cato go into their living room to cuddle on the couch and watch a movie. That's when Cato pulls out a small box of his own and hands it to Katniss. She looks at it puzzled. He had already just given her a gift – the signed paperwork to their house. He was late getting home because the realtor had called him to go pick up the papers, they were no longer renters, they were now homeowners! She opens the box and is shocked at what she sees. Inside is a locket, opened to a picture of them on their wedding day. They were standing with her mother, her sister Prim, his parents, and photos of her father and Peeta – special guests of honor so to speak. She looks up at him, tears spilling down her cheek. "Thank you." She whispered. "I love you." He replied, wiping away her tears with his thumb. They sit snuggled together, her hand on his chest, his hand rubbing her belly and start to watch the movie. When the credits begin to roll, they had both fallen asleep.

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The following morning, Katniss runs to the bathroom to deal with her morning sickness. Cato finishes cooking the breakfast she returns. He hears a knock on the front door and runs to answer it.

"Finnick, Annie! You're here!" he exclaims. "Come in. Are you hungry? Katniss and I made pancakes, sausage, and bacon for breakfast."

"Whoa, slow down there tiger! You're gonna give yourself a heart attack!" laughs Annie.

"Hey, you're early guys! Is everything okay?" asks Katniss, walking into the room looking worriedly at Annie's humongous stomach.

"Calm down Kitty Kat. We thought we'd come a little early so we could visit before heading to the meadow." Laughs Finnick, helping Annie through the door. Cato closes the door behind them and they all walk into the kitchen.

The two couples sit at the dining room table eating and talking. Finnick and Katniss clean up the kitchen while Cato hops in the shower. Annie is sitting on a chair in the corner of the kitchen talking about the new baby furniture that had arrived last week. The three laugh when Annie tells the story of how Finnick had put the crib together he had forgot to tighten some screws so when they put the mattress in, the whole crib collapsed. Cato comes out and Katniss runs to take her own shower. When she comes out, she looks at Cato. He cocks his eye brow. She brushes her hand over her belly and shifts her eyes towards Finnick and Annie. He smiles and nods when he realizes that she wants to tell the O'Dair's before they leave for the meadow. They had called their parents and Prim this morning before breakfast to tell them before they told anyone else.

"Finn, Ann? Could we sit in the living room for a moment? Katniss and I have something we need to tell you." Said Cato, winking at Katniss before heading into the living room.

"Is everything okay? Are you two okay?" asks Annie as her and Finnick sit down on the couch.

"We're fine, everything's okay. We just have some news for you guys." Replies Katniss, sitting on the coffee table next to Cato. Finnick and Annie look at each other than at Katniss and Cato confusion on their faces.

Cato and Katniss look at each other, smile, turn to their friends and announce, "We're having a baby!" Annie squeals with joy as she hugs Katniss and Finnick tells Cato, "Way to go man!" as they shake hands.

Soon they were off to the meadow. Katniss holding the flowers Cato had given her the night before. Cato parks the car and they begin heading to the meadow. Despite Annie's condition, it has become a tradition for her and Finnick to join Cato and Katniss. Annie and Finnick had met Peeta when they were kids at summer camp. The three had been inseparable for the month they were there. For a while, Annie and Peeta exchanged letters. But as soon as school began, the letters stopped. Peeta faded in their memories until they met Katniss.

The two couples arrive in the meadow and Finnick walks to the pile first. He tells Peeta about how worried he is about becoming a father, how happy he and Annie were when they found out, and how lucky they are to have Cato and Katniss in their lives. When he returns, he walks Annie over and helps her to the ground for her turn. He backs off to let her have her personal time. She tells Peeta that she remembers when they met at camp and pulls a photo out of her pocket. It's her, Finnick, and Peeta by the lake. They had just passed the swim test and were grinning like fools. A camp counselor had taken the photo and given a copy to all three at the end of camp. Annie placed the photo on the rocks and tells Peeta that she hopes her child will be as kind and wonderful as he was. When she turns to him, he hurries over to help her up. They walk back and Cato heads over after kissing Katniss's cheek. He kneels at the rocks, bows his head, and feels a tear begin to fall slowly down his cheek. He tells Peeta about the new bakery being built in his honor, how Peeta's father has given him full reign on the architectural design, how Katniss will be a voice on the interior design, about how afraid he is that he'll inherit his father's anger issues now that he found out he's going to be a father, about the nightmares that still haunt him from the accident, and how much he, Cato, misses his best friend. He gets up, tells Peeta to please keep watching over all of them, and walks back to the group. Katniss reaches up, wipes the tears from Cato's cheeks, gives him a smile, and walks over to the rocks. She talks to her dad first. She tells him about the baby, how she and Cato made it through the first year of marriage, how they are now homeowners, and how little Prim is thriving in college. She then lays the flowers on the rocks and begins to talk to Peeta.

_Hi Peeta. I still miss you so much. Your dad decided to build a second bakery. Cato designed it and I will decorate the inside. I am currently looking for someone to help me with the mural I have in mind. As the bakery is being dedicated in your honor, I thought to have your face painted on a wall. Sounds silly I know. But when I mentioned it to your dad, he said it would be perfect. Branson will be in charge of the first store and Regan wanted to run the second store. Can you believe it? He has changed so much Peeta. He went back to school, and will graduate next year. I know it was hard for him but he's done well. I'm so proud of him. As for my life, Cato has been a great husband. And now we are expecting a baby. I'm scared Peeta. I never wanted kids and now I find myself actually looking forward to seeing this life that is growing inside me. Please watch over me and this child, keep us safe. I haven't said anything to Cato, but I'm hoping for a boy. I want him to look like Cato. And I...I want him to share your name. I think Cato will agree. It's something we will discuss later. I still miss you Peeta. So does Cato. He still has nightmares from that day, the day that you were taken from this world. From your family, from him, from me. We take each day as it comes and try to honor your life as best can. Please keep watching over all of us – your family, Finnick and Annie as well as their child, and Cato, the baby, and I. _

Katniss stands up and turns to the others. She is smiling as she turns. That's when she sees Annie's face go from a smile to one of pain and shock.Annie has gone into labor! Katniss runs back to the group and they head to the car. Finnick at first starts to freak out until Annie puts her hand on his arm and tells him to calm down and breathe. Immediately he smiles before scooping her into his arms as they all rush back to the car. Finnick puts Annie in the front seat and climbs in the backseat behind her. Katniss goes to the other side and climbs in the back while Cato starts the car. They get to the hospital and Cato takes Finnick's phone so he can begin calling the families. Katniss sits down on a chair in the waiting room, listening as Cato calmly makes the calls. She smiles to herself as she falls asleep. Cato hangs up the phone after speaking to both families. He turns to Katniss and sees her sleeping in a chair. Looking around, he notices a couch. Picking her up gently, he walks over to the couch, lays her down, and sits so her head is in his lap. He plays with her hair as he waits for the Cresta's and O'dair's to arrive. Katniss had been asleep for about half an hour when Cato hears her whimpering. He knows she is having a nightmare and gently tries to soothe her. When he realizes nothing is working she sits up screaming, "No Peeta! It's not fair!"


	3. Chapter 3

_**Before I continue the story, I'd like to apologize for how long it has been since the last chapter. My birthday was on October 2**__**nd**__** and my husband had many plans for the **__**entire**__** week. Then the following week I was busy watching my 4 yr old nephew before going to Seattle, WA on Friday to see the King Tut exhibit from Egypt. That was an awesome weekend! So, to all you still with me, I hope to get 2 or 3 chapters up by tonight to make up for my time away. And thank you for being so patient with me.**_

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the idea for this story.**

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_He knows she is having a nightmare and gently tries to soothe her. When he realizes nothing is working, she sits up screaming, "No Peeta! It's not fair!" _

Before Cato has a chance to ask Katniss what her dream was about and what Peeta had to say Finnick rushed into the room.

"They're here! Its twins! A boy and a girl!"

Everyone jumped up and the questions began flying towards Finnick.

"What are their names?"

"How big are they?"

"How's Annie?"

"How much do they weigh?"

"When can we see them?"

But before Finnick has a chance to answer, there are a doctors and nurses running towards the delivery area where Finnick had just come from. As he turns to the commotion, Dr. Mason, who delivered the twins, came to get Finnick. She pulls him outside the waiting room doors and the group watches as Finnick falls to the ground sobbing. Katniss runs to him and manages to get him back to the waiting room to a chair by the door before anyone else has a chance to react to what they've seen.

Cato joins Katniss, wrapping his arms around her as Finnick looks up with tears falling down his face.

"The babies are fine but Annie is losing a lot of blood. They're not sure if they can stop it!" His sobbing grows louder as Katniss pulls herself from Cato's arms and sits next to Finnick. She pulls his head to her shoulder and whispers for him to shush, that everything will be fine. Cato wonders if Katniss's dream was a foretelling of this event. Katniss looks up at him as if she knows what he's thinking. She gives him a look that tells him that she'll tell him everything later. Cato nods in understanding and takes a seat next to her as she turns back to Finnick running her hands over his hair, trying to calm the distraught man.

About half an hour later, Dr. Mason walks in with another doctor who introduces himself as Dr Aurelius.

"We got the bleeding stopped but Annie's not out of the woods yet. We've taken her to ICU where she will be monitored. The prognosis doesn't look good. Mr. Odair, if you'd like to see your wife, I'll take you there now."

Finnick jumps up and follows Dr. Aurelius to where Annie is. Dr. Mason looks at the rest of the group and tells them that the babies are in the nursery and that they are welcome to go see them. The charge nurse will allow them to go and hold the infants one at a time. Katniss tells Finnick and Annie's parents to go and see their grandchildren. Her and Cato will wait where they are in case Finnick comes back. Mrs. Odair gives Katniss a hug as she goes to see her grand kids. Mrs. Cresta pats Cato on the arm and whispers a thank you to the couple as she leaves.

Once they're alone, Cato pulls Katniss into his lap. "How you holding up sweetheart?" he asks.

Tears begin to fall down her cheeks and she tucks her head under his chin before responding, "Peeta came to me in my dream. He told me that Finnick is going to be going through a rough time and that you and I will need to be there for him."

Cato waited for her to continue, rubbing her back gently. He knew there was more to come but that she also needed the time to collect her thoughts before she continued. He didn't have to wait long.

"Those babies are never going to know their mother." She whispered.

Cato froze for a moment, not sure he heard her correctly. But deep down he knew he did. His friend was going to be heartbroken. He couldn't imagine what this information would do to Finnick. Then he understood why she waited until they were alone before telling him about her dream. She was giving them hope.

"We'll be there for them." He tells her. "We'll help him in whatever way we can."

An hour later everyone but Finnick was back in the waiting room. They were waiting for him to return. They didn't have to wait long. His eyes were red and puffy and his hair was standing up at odd angles all over his head. He looked at Katniss and Cato before turning his attention to his and Annie's parents.

"She's hooked up to all these machines and she looks so small."

His mother gives him a hug and tells him that he should go home and rest for a while. He tries to argue but Katniss walks up and takes his hand. "Why don't you come home with Cato and me. I'll fix you something to eat and you can rest in the guest room. We can come back when visiting hours start up again."

Cato walks over and says, "I'll run over to your house and get you some clean clothes. After we eat and rest, we'll come back and check on your wife and kids. I haven't even got to see them yet."

Finnick nods at his friend and turns to his mother, "Thanks mom. I guess I will go with them and come back later." He kisses her on the cheek and goes over to Annie's mother and gives her a hug and kiss as well. Before they leave, they make sure to have someone call them from the hospital if there were any changes in Annie's or the babies conditions.

On the drive home, Katniss worried about Finnick. She felt that it was way too easy to get him to come with them. She hoped she was just worrying for nothing. They arrive at the house and Cato heads over to get the clothes for Finnick. When he gets back, he finds Finnick at the dining room table and Katniss making pancakes. He puts the extra clothes in the guest room before going back to help Katniss. He pours three glasses of orange juice and sets them on the table. He puts the butter, syrup, plates, and silverware on the table as well.

Nobody talks, each in their own little world. Finnick is thinking how he can't live in a world without Annie. Cato thinks about Katniss and their baby growing inside her. He knows that this day has been hard on her and she should be resting. Katniss is thinking about her dream of Peeta. She didn't tell Cato everything he told her. Peeta told her he'd be back. That thought scared her more than anything. Why would he need to visit her again? Was it about the baby? Cato? Prim? Her mother? She finished making the pancakes and served everyone. They ate in silence. When they were finished, Cato took Finnick to the guestroom to lay down before helping Katniss clean the kitchen. Seeing just how big the mess was, he sent her to their room and finished cleaning by himself. When he was done, he looked in on Finnick before heading to his own room. Finnick was sleeping so Cato closed the door quietly and went to his own room. He closed the door behind him, stripped down to his boxers, and climbed under the sheets next to his wife. He pulled her close and fell asleep.

The ringing of the phone a couple hours later woke Katniss up. She picked up the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hi, may I speak to Katniss please."

"This is Katniss. May I ask whom I am speaking to?"

"This is Hannah, Dr. Aurelius' nurse. I was given your name and number if there was any change in Annie or the babies conditions."

"Right. Is everything okay?" panic seeping into her voice.

"Yes. I just wanted to update you and let you know that Annie has been removed from the machine to help her breathe and is breathing on her own. She is still under deep sedation though."

"Okay. Thank you for calling. I will let her husband know what you told me. Good bye."

She hangs up the phone and hears Cato ask, "Everything okay? Who was that?"

She turns to face him, "It was Dr. Aurelius' nurse calling to let us know that Annie is breathing on her own but still under deep sedation. I should go let Finnick know." He smiles at her, lays back down, and goes back to sleep. She stands up, pulls on her fluffy robe, and walks to Finnick's room.

She sits on the edge of the bed and taps his shoulder. "Finnick, can you look at me for a minute? I just got a phone call that you might want to hear about."

Finnick rolls over, sees Katniss and sits up. "Is everything okay? What's going on?"

"Calm down for a second Finn. I just got off the phone with Dr. Aurelius' nurse and Annie has been taken off the breathing machine. She is still under deep sedation though. I thought you'd want to know." she tells him.

He hugs her and thanks her.

"Why don't you lay back down and rest a little longer. When we get up, you can shower before we head back to the hospital. Okay?"

Finnick nods as he lays back down and rolls over so he is facing away from her. All the crying he did at the hospital has really wiped him out. Katniss rubs his back until she hears his slight snoring noises. She gets up and heads back to her own room taking her robe off and throwing it on the foot of the bed. She crawls in, snuggles up to Cato's side, and is asleep moments later.

~3 hours later~

After the three had showered, they climbed into Cato's car and headed back to the hospital stopping for a burger and soda at Burger Palace. Once in the hospital, Finnick takes his friends to the nursery before heading to Annie's room. Katniss went in first and held the boy first before cuddling with the little girl. She watched Cato holding the babies through the window and her heart felt a joy she never felt before. She put her hands on her belly and told her child that its daddy was going to be an excellent daddy. Finnick found them in the hospital cafeteria an hour later. Katniss convinces Finnick to see his children before going back to Annie. Cato and Katniss watch as Finnick is sat in a rocking chair and handed his children. Katniss could see the joy and the sorrow written on Finnick's face. Before he left the nursery, he made sure that his children's birth certificates had their names on them – Finnick Junior and Coral Mags. Katniss thought they were lovely names.

A couple days later the babies were released from the hospital. Finnick still couldn't bear to be in his and Annie's house alone with the babies so they all moved in with Katniss and Cato. Cato had to get back to work so Katniss was usually home alone with the twins for about 2 hours while Finnick went to see Annie. She was awake now but had sunk into her own little world inside her head. She never acknowledged anybody that went to see her. Her weight was falling and she refused to bathe. The nurses would bathe her when she went into a catatonic state.

Time marched forward. Routines were followed. Katniss was becoming more and more tired the farther along in her pregnancy she went. Cato began working longer and longer hours. Finnick was losing himself as his wife pulled further and further away from reality.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Okay, here is the second chapter that I promised. I know I said it was going to be posted with the last chapter but when I looked it was gone! On a side note, I got some inspiration to start another story. The outline has 23 chapters (or ideas for chapters lol). I actually have 3 chapters hand written. It has every named character from the Hunger Games trilogy in it. And I mean EVERY character!**_

_**Enjoy this chapter and remember, The Hunger Games trilogy and its characters DO NOT belong to me. They are the property of Suzanne Collins.**_

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_Time marched forward. Routines were followed. Katniss was becoming more and more tired the farther along in her pregnancy she went. Cato began working longer and longer hours. Finnick was losing himself as his wife pulled further and further away from reality. _

Katniss' due date was in a few weeks. She was tired, tired of being pregnant and tired of being tired. Cato was hardly ever home and has recently been sent out of town on business. He did promise that he would be home in time for the birth of their child. Prim came to help Katniss and Finnick take care of his now 8 month old twins. Between the teething and the ability to scoot around the floor, everyone is feeling a bit run down. Finnick still goes and visits Annie but she is no longer the same person he once knew. He has begun to cut back on his visits, not going every day and not staying as long when he does visit. He has also been thinking of moving back to his own home. He knows that he's probably over stayed his welcome. But he also has enjoyed spending time with Katniss and watching her play with his kids. Little Finn looks just like his dad where Coral is a combination of her parents – brown hair and sea green eyes. They're happy little things that haven't seen their mother in 6 months. Finnick had taken them with him thinking it might help but all it did was cause Annie to scream.

Finnick is on the floor playing with his kids. He looks up when Prim walks into the living room. "Dinner's ready" she says as she picks up Coral. He smiles at her as he stands up and picks up his son. They walk to the dining room together and put the twins into their high chairs. Katniss walks in with 2 bowls of food. She sets the bowls in front of the babies. Finnick looks and asks, "We trying something new Kat? Are we ready for that?" Katniss watches the little ones try eating with their hands, "I think they are." Prim heads to the kitchen saying, "Sit guys, I'll bring in our dinner." She comes out moments later balancing 3 plates in her hands. She hands Finnick his first, then Katniss hers before sitting down to eat herself. Prim and Finnick finish quickly and take the babies for a bath. As Katniss is clearing the table, she hears a sound coming from the garage. She looks up and sees her husband walk in. She drops everything back on the table and waddles over to him. He smiles at her before taking her in his arms and kissing her. Katniss pulls away to ask if he was hungry. "I could eat. Where's Finn and they babies? I missed the little rug rats."

"Finn and Prim are giving them a bath. We let them _TRY_ to feed themselves." She points to the high chairs. "As you can see, it was very messy."

"Wait, did you say Prim's here?! I wanna see her."

"She'll be out in a few minutes. Sit. I'll get you some dinner."

Ten minutes later, Cato was eating. Katniss had cleared the table and was busy wiping the highchairs down when Finnick and Prim walked in with the twins. Prim sees Cato and shoves Coral into Finnick's arms. Cato stands as Prim throws herself at him for a hug.

"Hey big brother! I've missed you so much. Are you going to be home for a while? We have a lot to catch up on!"

Cato laughs and announces, "Now that we're all here, I can tell you that I will be working from home for the next 2 months. I don't want to miss the birth of my child." He walks over to Finnick and reaches for one of the twins. Coral tucks her head under her dad's chin and Finn Jr. reaches for Cato. Cato takes him from Finnick and snuggles him close before smiling wickedly and tosses him gently in the air. Finn Jr. starts laughing. Cato does it a couple more times before cuddling the boy again. "Hey Finn, it's good to see ya. How ya doing?" The two men begin to head to the living room with the babies as Finnick answers, "I'm good. I am spending more time here with the kids instead of Annie. I've also been considering taking the kids home. I feel like I'm taking advantage of your generosity."

Katniss and Prim finish cleaning the dining room and start on the kitchen. They join the men 30 minutes later. Finnick takes his kids to the bedroom and lays them down for the night. When he comes back out, the four adults sat and talked until Cato noticed Katniss's eyes beginning to droop. They wish each other a good night and all head off to bed.

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The next 2 weeks pass in a flash. With Cato at home, a new routine is established. Finnick is still living with Cato and Katniss. Cato makes sure Katniss is off her feet as much as possible but on this particular day he finds her cleaning the kitchen. Cupboards are bare and she is on the step stool, wiping the shelves.

"Can't sleep, sweetheart?"

"No. And these shelves are filthy! I can't believe none of us got sick yet!"

Cato walks over to Katniss. "Come down dear. We can't have you falling. Let me help."

"Fine. But I still have to mop the floors, clean the oven, and wipe down the counters."

Cato chuckles. "I will help you. Sit down and rest for a minute."

Katniss goes to sit when she feels fluid sliding down her leg. "Umm, Cato, I think we have a problem."

He takes one look at her and screams for Prim and Finnick. Both come running an assess the situation. Prim calmly grabs Katniss's hand and pulls her out of the room saying, "Cato, help Finnick put the kids in the van and grab her bag by the front door. I'm going to help her change clothes before we head to the hospital. Finnick, once the kids are in their seats, can you make the calls to let our parents know we are heading to the hospital." She doesn't wait for a reply as she pulls Katniss to her bedroom to dress her in a dress and clean underwear.

About 20 minutes later, group the arrives, and Katniss is wheeled to the labor and delivery room with Cato by her side. About 6 hours later, Katniss is lying on a bed holding her son, Peeta Christopher. An hour later, the only people in her room are Cato, lil' Peet, and Katniss. She falls asleep, watching her husband looking at their son in his arms. The infant is the spitting image of his father except for the gray eyes that he inherited from his mother.

Katniss spends 2 more days in the hospital. When she gets home, Finnick and his kids are still there. She is okay with that. Cato is there to make sure everything is the way Katniss needs it to be to rest and take care of their son.

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It's the anniversary of Peeta & Mr. Everdeen's death, as well as the first birthday of lil' Finn and Coral. Everyone loads into the mini van to the annual pilgrimage to visit tha memorial. Katniss walks to the pile of stones, her son wrapped in her arms, to speak first to her father and Peeta. ?She kneels down and introduces her son to her father and Peeta. She has been there about 10 minutes when she can hear Finnick's phone ring. She can hear the pain in his voice as he talks to whomever called. She stands and turns towards the 2 men and the children they are holding. Fear surges thru her. She rushes back and hears Finnick say they have to head to the hospital, NOW! They rush to the hospital where they get the news, Annie has died! Finnick is on his knees, sobbing hysterically. Prim puts the twins into their stroller as Katniss hands Cato their son. She turns to Finnick, kneels down, and takes him into her arms. She let's Finnick cry on her shoulder.

Cato and Prim take the kids out of the waiting room, leaving the two of them alone, knowing that Katniss can handle what is happening.


End file.
